Katandra has earned its first Whitelock Shield E-grade premiership in more than a decade after toppling Mooroopna by 54 runs on Saturday.
The Eagles blasted their way to 225 in the first innings before bowling Mooroopna out for 171 in reply, clinching the club’s first premiership in the division since the 2011-12 season.
Sam Smith (43), Ian Wilson (38) and Jarrod Cooper (31) were the key contributors with the bat for Katandra, while a familiar name excelled with the ball for the second week in a row.
Callum Savio, who was the semi-final hero with two wickets in the final over during Katandra’s two-run win over Nagambie, starred again on grand final day taking an impressive 5-26.
Katandra captain Dillon Shelley said he was overjoyed by the result.
“It feels great. I am so stoked for the boys. It has been an awesome year and they are a great bunch of lads,” he said.
“From a mixed background, you almost wouldn’t think that these boys would get together and play a game of cricket, but we do.
“We do it in a good way and we play with a good spirit and I am just so proud, honestly.”
After the game, Shelley paid tribute to Clayton Simpson, a member of Kantandra Cricket Club who died after a car crash earlier this month.
“It has been a very tough couple of weeks. It has been really hard, especially with the funeral yesterday (Friday),” Shelley said.
“The boys tried to bounce back in a positive spirit after such an emotional time. We have all had each other’s backs and that has been the biggest thing, just getting around each other and celebrating Clayton’s life and doing it for him.”
Katandra had lost to Mooroopna in both their previous encounters this season, but the Eagles got off to a hot start in the grand final.
Smith and Patrick Candy made a great opening partnership, with Cooper helping carry the load before a free-swinging Wilson helped boost Katandra’s score.
“Sam and Patty put on a great start, probably the best opening partnership of the year and it set us up really comfortably so we could accelerate from there,” Shelley said.
“There were a few big knocks throughout the innings after that. Ian Wilson stepped up in a big way with 38 runs off 18 balls which was massive.
“We put on a score of 225 in a grand final, which is really good.”
In the second innings Mooroopna was at 1-55 before Savio began to wreak havoc, taking three wickets as the Cats were suddenly 4-65.
Mooroopna’s Oscar Emanuelli made 53 not out for Mooroopna, but his resilient half-century couldn’t lift the Cats over the line.
Savio went on to take two more wickets, while Clayton Groves (2-7) claimed a pair of dismissals as well, with Mooroopna all out for 171.
“When you have 220 on the board the pressure goes on to the other side and they have to keep it going for the whole innings,” Shelley said.
“We bowled fairly tight and that is all we had to do. We knew if we bowled full and straight we would get what we wanted and we did.”
Katandra claimed two premierships on Saturday, with the Eagles also hoisting the Haisman Shield after a thrilling A-grade grand final victory.
THE GAME
Katandra 225 (Sam Smith 43, Ian Wilson 38, Jarrod Cooper 31, Tate Gawne 2-12) d Mooroopna 171 (Oscar Emanuelli 53 not out, Mark Nolen 26, Callum Savio 5-26, Clayton Groves 2-7)
STAR PLAYER
Callum Savio (Katandra): It doesn’t get much better than taking five-for in a grand final. Savio was electric with the ball in hand for the Eagles, with his five wickets in 7.2 overs swinging the contest Katandra’s way. Savio took a catch and played a role in a run out as well, helping take seven of Mooroopna’s 10 wickets on the day.